Mutant X Home At Last
by kurah
Summary: Well, it's not really "R" stuff, but I wanted to leave my options open just in case. I know my OC has powers like Rogue
1. First Meeting

Mutant X - "Home at Last"

Six members of the GSA pursue a woman through the dark alleys. She slips into a doorway leading into a softly lit warehouse. She runs through the aisles of boxes and crates, but soon finds herself at a dead end. She turns around and realize that the agents have caught up with her and have her cornered. She stands poised to fight. Jesse phases through the crates to her left and rushes towards the agents, attacking them. Shalimar jumps gracefully down from the top of the boxes and struggles with the remaining GSA members, some of whom have powers of their own. In the end, the agents are forced to retreat.

"It's okay now; we're here to help you," Shalimar tells the woman, placing a hand on her bare arm. The woman takes a sharp breath and her dark brown eyes begin to swirl into a color of molten gold. Shalimar appears to be stuck to her, though still as a statue and unable to struggle.

"Hey! What are you doing?!" Jesse demands, stepping towards them and reaching for Shalimar. Shalimar's eyes roll back into her head as she slumps to the floor, releasing her grasp on the woman's arm. Jesse kneels beside Shalimar, holding her wrist and glares up at the woman. She looks down at him and lets out a low growl as her eyes turn feral.

"We came to help! What did you do to Shal?" Jesse places Shalimar's head into his lap, studying her intently, then moves his hand to her neck to find her pulse. The woman's eyes soften as she watches.

"I'm sorry, Jesse." He again glances up at her, this time guarded.

"How do you know my name?" Jesse searches her eyes for sincerity and answers. He feels a familiar connection and his apprehension turns to shock.

"Shalimar?" She jumps up onto the crates and turns to look at him, then runs off not risking another glance behind her.


	2. Come Together

At Mutant X Sanctuary.... Adam inspects Shalimar, checking her vitals for signs of any damage or danger.

"How is she?" Jesse asks.

"She should be fine. She just needs to rest," Adam responds.

"What happened?" Brennan inquires, walking into the infirmary room.

"We saved this woman from the GSA. Shal went to see if she was alright. She touched her and then.... I don't know what happened. She seemed frozen and then she fainted. It was so strange. For a minute, I thought I saw Shal.... in the other woman," Jesse informs. Adam's brow furrowed in thought.

"I want you to go to the files and see if you can identify her," he instructed. Jesse nodded and walked out to the computers. He soon came back to the infirmary. Brennan and Emma sat beside Shalimar who was now awake, but still a little out of it. Adam looks over at Jesse.

"I found her; Catrina Valent. There wasn't any other information on her though, except for her birth date. Not even a clear picture; but she had the same dark brown, curly hair, dark eyes, and facial features. I'm almost positive that's her." Adam nods thoughtfully.

"I thought it might be her."

"So, what are her powers? Is she feral?" Jesse interrogates.

"No."

"She wasn't an elemental. Could a molecular have done this?" Shalimar questions.

"No."

"So she's a psionic then," Emma states.

"She's not any of those. She was one of our earliest.... experiments," Adam starts.

"Please don't tell us this is another Gabriel," Brennan interrupts.

"Let me finish. What she does is absorb the powers of new mutants; but only by physical contact. Not only does she inherit their powers, but their personalities, their memories, and their energy."

"Basically their whole essence."

"Yes, Emma. She ran away at a very young age. We never able to find her. If we could find her now, she'd probably be our best bet for defeating Gabriel," Adam conveys.

"What if she's on his side already? She did attack Shal," Brennan comments.

"We'd be in a lot of trouble. Though I doubt she'd join him. They never liked each other and their powers being complete opposites make them repel more so than attract," Adam explains.

"She stopped running. She's hiding," Shalimar speaks. They all turn to look at her, startled.

"How do you know?" Jesse inquires.

"I.... feel her. Like we have a connection."

"That's supposed to be my job," Emma comments.

"Can you locate her, Shalimar?" Adam asks.

"No, it's not that strong of a connection, only a few moments were we share.... essences I guess."

"See, Emma, we still need you," Brennan says. Emma rolls her eyes.

"I'm not sure if I can. I've never been in contact with her before. I need to feel her essence to know what to search for."

"And since Catrina's essence isn't lasting for long enough time periods within Shalimar, I doubt you could get a good enough reading," Adam adds.

"Try searching for Shal then. If Shalimar is still feeling her, then she must still have a good grasp on Shal's essence. Maybe you can reach her that way," Jesse suggests.

"That just might work. Now why didn't I think of that?" Adam wonders, smiling. Emma focuses and thrusts her powers outward to search for Shalimar.

"I'm only getting Shalimar here at the Sanctuary. I can't.... wait! I know where she is!"

Emma, Jesse, and Brennan search for Catrina's hideout in the Double Helix.

"Down there," Emma points out. They land on top of a building cloaking the Double Helix to blend in with the surroundings.

"Remember not to come in contact with her bare skin," Adam warns through the radio connection. They walk inside the building, down the stairs, to the bottom floor.

"This way.... Watch out!" Emma yells, turning around. Catrina jumps out of the shadows. Her eyes glow with Shalimar's powers.

"We didn't come to fight," Jesse assures her.

"But we will if we have to," Brennan adds, bringing one hand just above the other to show off his electrical powers.

"What do you want?" Catrina asks suspiciously.

"Just to talk. Come with us to Sanctuary. You'll be safe there," Emma says.

"I know Adam is the leader of your.... Mutant X. I want nothing to do with him."

"He's not who you think he is," Jesse speaks.

"You don't know what I think. Is he not the same man who made us who we are? The man who experimented on us, reducing us to mere test subjects."

"Can't you tell from Shalimar's thoughts that he's good.... we're good?" Brennan queries.

"She's blocking out those thoughts. She doesn't want to believe it."

"Stop reading me, Emma!" Catrina hisses.

"Try treating her like she's Shalimar," Jesse suggests quietly to his teammates.

"Cat, we don't you come back with us just for a little bit. You know we'll watch out for you and we won't hurt you," Brennan states.

"Just because she trusts you doesn't mean that I will."

"We need you to help us, Catrina. Gabriel's too strong. You're the only one that stands a chance at defeating him," Emma informs.

"What does Gabriel have to do with anything? I thought he was stabilized in a stasis pod."

"His groupies, The Strand, released him. He captured Eckhart and know he's after Adam and anyone who stands in his way," Jesse explains. Catrina smirks, but finally relaxes her fighting stance.

"Fine. I'll come back with you; but only to stop Gabriel."

Catrina is taken back to Sanctuary with contacts in her eyes that block her sight to the directions.

"Adam!" Jesse calls out. Adam comes out to the main room to greet them with Shalimar close behind him. She stops to keep a good distance between herself and Catrina.

"Catrina."

"Adam." She speaks blandly, but reveals an unfriendly expression on her face.

"It's good to see you are doing well," Adam comments.

"Who said I was doing well? My whole life has been hell, thanks to you!" Anger stirs within her and Shalimar watches her warily.

"I am sorry. I wish you'd believe that."

"Apologizing doesn't fix anything."

"I understand, but you have come to help us?" Adam inquires. Catrina nods, now wearing a blank expression she's perfected over the years.

"I really don't think she should be here. How do we know we can trust her? She could lead Gabriel right to us," Shalimar speaks.

"Then I would have done so already," Catrina responds.

"She must have absorbed the location from your memories," Emma states.

"Then why'd you let us blind you?" Jesse questions.

"I won't argue about trivial things. I want this over with as quickly as possible. You all came searching for me. I want nothing with you. I just want to be left alone. I'll help with whatever I can, then I'm gone."

"If that's what you really want; but perhaps you'll consider staying with us after this is all done and over with. Though we can discuss that at a later time. Shalimar, please show Catrina to her room," Adam requests. Shalimar reluctantly leads her down the hallway to a room. She is sure to keep the distance between them.

"Do you have to do that?" Catrina asks, standing in the doorway, but not turning to look at Shalimar.

"What?" Shalimar turns back to her before she had managed to make a quick escape.

"Act so afraid to come near me; as if I have a deathly contagious disease. I never did anything to you."

"Ha! What about absorbing my essence and stealing my powers?

"_You_ touched me." Catrina turns slightly to glare at her.

"I guess that's true, but it's nothing I want to experience again. So just don't touch me," Shalimar states firmly, shuddering visibly. Catrina's countenance shows a quick flicker of sorrow. Shal experiences a flash of memory -

_A bunch of children surround her. A few of the younger ones reach out to her, then jump back giggling in excitement at the game they created, similar to running towards the ocean then escaping just before the waves touch you. She hugs herself and looks at the bigger kids who circle her, but won't come to close. "You can't play with us!" "Stay away, freak!" "We don't want you here." "You don't belong here!" Dirt and stones are lifted and thrown at her. She covers her face and head with her arms, then turns to run. Some of the children gasp as they hurriedly move out of the way so she can get by without touching them. Fear and anger is evident on their faces and even on the faces of the parents pulling their children away to "safety."_

"I'm sorry," Shalimar apologizes, stepping forward. Cara's protective shield is quickly put back up to hide her true emotions.

"I hate that part of my powers," Catrina mutters, referring to the sharing of essence which takes awhile to wear off. If she loses control for one second, her own essence can be imparted into another just as easily as their essence is imparted into herself.

"Maybe we could talk.... We did get off to a rough start. We could get to know each other better and not fear..."

"No! No. I just want to be alone. I don't want anyone here unless it's time to attack Gabriel." Catrina walks into the room and door slides shut behind her. Shalimar stares at the door for a moment.

"I know being alone is the last thing that you want."


	3. A Little History

At Genomex.... Gabriel stands over Mason Eckhart who is now held captive in one of his own stasis pods.

"I don't know how you are doing it, Eckhart; but I know you are still controlling some of your GSA agents. Of course, we found them; and took care of them too." Eckhart stares silently, almost emptily, up at Gabriel. "Let's see how you did all this." Gabriel uses his psionic abilities to probe Eckhart's mind. "I see. So you had this all planned out just in case something like this would ever happen. You must be a bit of a psychic yourself, Eckhart." He laughs, then grows serious. "If I were to escape and capture or dispose of you - which I have - agents were to find the one person.... or mutant, that might have a chance against me. Heh, little Catrina. Nice try."

"Catrina, Gabriel?" one of his followers, Melanie, a water elemental, asks. Gabriel turns to her and walks over, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Before your time here, dear Mel. She is able to absorb a new mutant's essence and a human's life with a touch of her skin against yours." He trails his hand down the bare skin of her arm. "If she actually decides to come back, I'm sure she'll only prove to be a small nuisance. We'll still inform the others. She's in Mutant X's possession now."

* * *

"Tell me about her, Adam." Adam glances up from his computer to look at Shalimar. "I don't look what she thinks of you."

"She resents me; hates me."

"That was obvious, Adam," Jesse comments, sitting down in a chair across from him.

"She has every right. I've carried the guilt of creating her for all of these years. I should have atleast warned her...."

"Did you even know she'd develop these abilities?" Jesse inquires. Adam shakes his head.

"She was an experiment. Anything could have happened."

"But what did happen?" Shalimar interrogates, leaning against the arm of Jesse's chair and crossing her arms. She watches Adam intently.

"She was almost thirteen when Eckhart decided we should let her out into the world to see how she'd react. We had no knowledge of her powers. No one had ever touched her bare skin with their own, besides some of the other subjects. We'd find them in a comatose state - as you were, Shalimar. We assumed that there were problems with our experimentations. We had sent Catrina to her parent's home. Her mother welcomed her with open arms, but as they hugged...."

"Oh, God," Shalimar breathes. Adam nods solemnly.

"Her father told her to leave and never come back. She had a younger brother also; luckily he didn't witness the death."

"So she ran away after that?" Jesse questions.

"No. She was in a catatonic state when we got to her. Eckhart had multiple tests done t discover her powers. She went through the next month as a shell of herself; until Gabriel began pestering her. He'd taunt her, play tricks on her, anything to get a reaction from her. He got a reaction, but I doubt it's what he wanted. She grabbed his bare skin and drew out his essence, while pushing her pain and hate inside of him. Ever since then, they've been enemies."

"Adam, how'd she get out of Genomex?" Shalimar asks. Adam looks at her.

"I was on duty the night she tried to escape and we had a power failure."

"Why did you let her leave?" Jesse queries.

"It was when I first realized that what we were doing was wrong. You're humans, not test subjects. And Eckhart and I are far from being God. We had as much control over you as you yourselves did.... none. We had no knowledge and all we did was create pain. She was in so much agony.... I didn't know what else to do, but to let her go."

"You should tell her, Adam. Maybe she'll forgive you," Shalimar states. Adam clasps his hands together and purses his lips.

"....Maybe."

* * *

Back at Genomex.... Melanie walks into the office that was formerly Eckhart's. She is accompanied by a tall, brown-haired young man.

"I have done as you requested, Gabriel." Gabriel glances up and grins.

"Zachary. I'm so glad you decided to come. You must have some questions about your past...." Zachary looks at him suspiciously.

"I do; but I don't see how you'd have the answers. Who are you?"

"Let's just say I'm an old friend of your family.... Did you know you had a sister?"

"Of course I knew. She died in a car accident with my mother...." Gabriel stifles a laugh unsuccessfully. "It was a mistake to come here." Zachary turns to leave, but Melanie blocks his way. Gabriel stands up .

"You've been lied to. Your sister is alive. She didn't die in a car accident and neither did your mother." Zachary turns to face him, attempting to stare him down. Gabriel motions to a seat. "If you want, I can show you exactly what happened." Zachary cautiously goes to the chair and sits down. Gabriel grins as he uses his psionic powers to allow Zachary to experience the past.


End file.
